Eco-activists deflate pickup tires in Royal Oak, police say

Royal Oak police are seeking tips to find people, reportedly tied to an eco-activist group, who deflated the tires on four vehicles this week.

A pickup truck owner called 911 around 10 p.m. Wednesday to report "an unknown suspect ... scratched the paint on their vehicle and let the air out of all four tires while parked downtown," city officials said in a statement.

While investigating the incident, the Police Department received reports of similar incidents in the Oakland County community, according to the release.

An investigation determined three other vehicles, all large pickups, had their tires deflated between 3-9 p.m., police said.

In all four cases, "one or more tires on each vehicle were deflated by lodging an item into the value stems and an activist flyer was left on the windshield," according to the release.

No other damage was reported; officers use a portable air pump to re-inflate the tires.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Royal Oak Police Department, Criminal Investigations Division at (248) 246-3456.

Fox 2 Detroit reported the posters left on the trucks were attributed to the activist group Tyre Extinguishers.

Representatives did not respond to a request for comment Thursday night.

Their mission, according to its website, is "to make it impossible to own a huge polluting 4x4 in the world’s urban areas. We are defending ourselves against climate change, air pollution and unsafe drivers."

The website gives tips on how to deflate tires. Members aim to inconvenience the owners of "massive, unnecessary vehicles" and, by inspiring others to follow suit, create "a giant obstacle for driving massive killer vehicles around our streets," according to the site. "We’re taking this action because governments and politicians have failed to protect us from these huge vehicles. Everyone hates them, apart from the people who drive them."